As women move into perimenopause and menopause, many changes occur physically, emotionally and spiritually. It can be a very confusing time where you feel like your body and emotions are taking off without your permission or consent.
Your feminine hormonal changes often create symptoms that can impact other systems in the body and impact your emotional state as well.
This is the time when you need to take particularly good care of yourself and listen to your needs. One of the best places to start with self-care is to make sure you get enough sleep.
Sleep is the time our bodies rejuvenate, restore and recover from any healing that needs to occur. If you are sacrificing sleep because you are involved too many activities, or you are working too hard or you are too stressed -- STOP!
Take time to look at your schedule to make some changes to get at least six to eight hours of sleep every night. Also try to go to bed at the same time each night including the weekends.
Follow a sleep ritual, sometimes called sleep hygiene, that happens at the same time every night so your body, and more importantly your mind, will know that you are ready getting ready for sleep.
As part of your ritual, create a dark bedroom with no electronic equipment in your room while you are sleeping. This means no computer, IPad, TV on in your room at least one hour before you go to sleep.
Lack of proper sleep is actually acting as an additional stressor for the body and can make your experience of menopause more difficult. Giving yourself the gift of sleep can make a big difference in your emotional and physical state during your transition.
Sometimes your interrupted sleep is a result of the hormonal changes that occur during the transition to menopause. The hormonal changes that impact sleep the most are night sweats and hot flushes.
However the lack of sleep can also cause irritability, tiredness, inability to tolerate stress, frequent infections, inability to lose weight or alterations of appetite, or decreased productivity.
In this case using strategies of healthy whole food eating by increasing fruits, vegetables and whole grains and avoiding excess sugars, processed foods, caffeine and alcohol, can moderate some of the fluctuations in your hormones.
Daily stress management exercises can reduce night sweats and hot flushes too. With extreme cases, looking into low dose hormonal replacement, whether bio-identical or synthetic, may be necessary and should only be taken under supervision of a qualified and licensed healthcare professional.
The goal is to create self-care and self awareness while you transition from child-bearing years to menopause.
Live Vibrantly and Sleep well,
Dr. Dae
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As a naturopathic doctor, my role is to help you cultivate actions and activities that support a harvest in your life of healthy patterns for better days. Dr. Dae is a Naturopathic Physician who practices in the Washington DC metro area.
Sources:
"Can't Sleep? What To Know About Insomnia | National Sleep Foundation - Information on Sleep Health and Safety." National Sleep Foundation - Information on Sleep Health and Safety | Information on Sleep Health and Safety. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 May 2012.
http://www.sleepfoundation.org/article/sleep-related-problems/insomnia-and-sleep
"Insomnia - MayoClinic.com." Mayo Clinic. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 May. 2012. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/insomnia/DS00187
"Menopause: Symptoms - MayoClinic.com." Mayo Clinic. Web. 8 May 2012. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/menopause/ds00119/dsection=symptoms
Reviewed May 8, 2012
by Michele Blacksberg RN
Edited by Jody Smith